EA Sports on Monday said it will name the cover athlete for the upcoming Madden NFL 17 on Thursday. The announcement will be broadcast on SportsCenter, which airs at 4 p.m. MT on ESPN.

It is the first time since 2009 fans will not vote for the cover athlete.

No Broncos player has ever graced the cover of the game. With Denver entering the 2016 season as the defending Super Bowl champion, here are a few names who deserve the spotlight:

C.J. Anderson
The Broncos’ running back’s stats weren’t mindblowing in the regular season — 152 carries, 720 rushing yards, five touchdowns — but he did get Denver’s sole offensive touchdown at Super Bowl 50. And EA Sports enjoys putting running backs on the Madden covers — there’s been seven, more than any other position. Quarterbacks are second at six, which leads to…

Peyton Manning
There’s been one Peyton who has been a cover athlete and amazingly it wasn’t The Sheriff — former Broncos and then-Browns running back Peyton Hillis was the face of Madden NFL 12. So here are the arguments for Manning: He’s one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, holding numerous records. And he’s retired. No need to worry about the curse for him.

Von Miller
The Super Bowl 50 MVP has been on a whirlwind media tour since leading the Broncos to their third Lombardi Trophy. From “Dancing With the Stars” to his cavalcade of talk-show appearances, Miller’s popularity has risen exponentially in recent months. It makes sense he will be the face of the game. Also, just imagine his bevy of sack dances featured in the loading screen.

NCAA Football 14 was released July 9 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Electronic Arts left a cryptic message on its NCAA Football Facebook page on Monday, leaving fans wondering if the defunct video game franchise was in store for a revival.

“Our heart still beats for the big game,” the message says, along with a video of heartbeats on an electrocardiogram screen.

The last installment in the series was NCAA Football 14, which launched in July 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Later that year, the future of the series went in limbo after several major conferences pulled their trademark licenses from EA and former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon headed a a lawsuit against EA, the NCAA and The Collegiate Licensing Company for using player likenesses in the games.

Unfortunately for fans of the series, the Facebook post — the first on the page in a year and a half — was simply about the National Championship game.

“We have no new plans or announcements to make regarding the EA SPORTS NCAA Football series,” the company tweeted a couple hours later.

Today’s #NationalChampionship game reminds us more than ever that the hearts in our community still beat for college football.

EA revealed the overall team ratings for the AFC and the Broncos (89) are ranked second in the conference behind the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots (91).

From Electronic Arts:

Even with growing concerns about his arm strength, there are few quarterbacks better than Peyton Manning (92 OVR). New head coach Gary Kubiak should bring balance to the offense, using HB C. J. Anderson (85 OVR) and FB James Casey (80 OVR) to establish the run. Demaryius Thomas (93 OVR) and Emmanuel Sanders (89 OVR) return as starting WRs, with Cody Latimer (73 OVR) in the slot. Virgil Green (82 OVR) and Owen Daniels (80 OVR) will see time at TE following the departure of Julius Thomas.

A pair of Denver Broncos defensive players have been rated among the top five of their positions in Madden NFL 16.

Outside linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Chris Harris earned high ratings after their play last season. Miller has an overall rating of 97 and is the No. 1 OLB, while Harris has a 94 rating and is the No. 4 corner behind Richard Sherman, Darelle Revis and Vontae Davis.

Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants scores a touchdown in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on November 23, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Al Bello, Getty Images)

Odell Beckham Jr. was announced Wednesday on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” as the winner of the Madden NFL 16 cover vote, defeating Rob Gronkowski in the finals.

Beckham had 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Giants in his rookie season. Gronkowski had 82 receptions for 1,124 yards and 12 TDs for the Super Bowl champion Patriots.

“He’s an unstoppable force out on the field, and the Madden NFL 16 cover is further vindication that the fans believe he’s a player to watch in the coming years,” EA Sports senior director of marketing Randy Chase said in a news release.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman graced the cover of Madden NFL 15. No Denver Broncos player has ever been on the cover.

The winning cover athlete will be boosted to 99 overall after the reveal.

Madden NFL 16 is scheduled to be released on Aug. 25 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

A&E reporter John Wenzel has covered a variety of topics for The Denver Post over the years, including video games, comedy, music and the fine arts. He's been playing and loving video games since his dad brought home a sweet ColecoVision in 1983. Catch him on PSN as beardsandgum.

Hugh got his start writing for the Cheyenne and Woodmen Edition newspapers in Colorado Springs. In 2011 he moved to Denver where he has written for Denver Urban Spectrum and Colorado Community Media’s Wheat Ridge Transcript. Hugh joined The Denver Post in 2014 as an editorial assistant.